Boot or shoe



(No Model.)

H. HOTTINGER.

BOOT OR SHOE.

No. 551,281 Patented Dec. 10, 1895.

Jaw/M01 WMZZ i Zfmrwy ANDREW BGRAHAMJIIGTQUYMDMASHINGFDII.Dc.

UNITED V STAT-ES PATENT ()FFICE.

HENRY HOTTINGER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BOOT on SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,281 dated December 10, 1895. Application filed March 7,1895. Serial No. 540,853. (No infidel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Horrmcnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots or High-Ankle Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention gives all the advantages of the styles of boots heretofore made and obviates all of their disadvantages.

It also confers additional advantages not found before in any of the boots or shoes made.

One prominent feature of my invention consists of a novel construction, so that the boot is provided with a side lace, beginning forward or at the front end of the instep where the latter merges into the front portion of the foot, and extending in a direction nearly horizontal to the ankle and then rising and extending; up the side of the boot. This lacing is at the outer side of the boot rather than on the inside. The location of the lacing at the outside of the leg prevents its striking, rubbing, or in anywise abrading the surface of the companion shoe, or impeding the progress of the wearer thereof.

A very great convenience in locating the lacing on the side of the foot and on the outer side is that it can be readily reached-much more easily reached than where the lacing is at the front of the instep and leg. In the case of fat or fleshy individuals, or of men clad in many clothes or stiff apparel, they cannot lean directly forward far enough to reach and manipulate the lacing of the shoe, nor lift the foot whose shoe is to be laced upon the knee of the opposite leg, and they are thus prevented. from readily accomplishing the lacing of a boot or shoe; but any one can throw their foot and leg out sidewise and leaning over to that side reach the outside of that adjacent leg and foot, and as I have there located said lacing, they can reach the same with ease, and quickly and successfully lace the same. This facility constitutes in itself a marked desideratum-a valuable advantage. This advantage applies equally well where the article is a boot or has the leg thereof so shortened as to become a shoe.

I am aware that a perpendicular flat lacing on the outside of a boot-leg has been heretofore used, but I have never known of a perpendicular hooked lacing on the outside of a boot-leg, and I have never known of any kind of lacing flat or hooked on the outside of the instep or foot substantially as shown, and I consider these as features of my invention.

The side hooked lacing is far more easily handled than flat lacing, though the latter could be used as a part of my invention and in carrying it into effect, along the side of the foot and up the leg, if the shoe fabric be thus extended.

By the above construction, the shoe or boot can be quickly fastened upon the wearer, and as fastened adapts itself to the shape of his foot and limb.

Another important feature of my invention consists of the construction whereby the upper portion or flap at the said side lacing-opening overlaps the lower portion. The advantage of such construction is very great, as it operates to shed all rain falling upon that half of the shoe, and prevents snow from entering the lacing-opening.

It is well known that hunters, surveyors, explorers, farmers, lumbermen, as well as many other classes of men who are engaged in outdoor occupations are frequently coinpelled to go through wet bushes, grass, and the like. This wet impediment wets more than ordinary rain. By the feature of construction last mentioned, such wet is warded off by the shield-flap aforementioned. The progress of the foot and leg being forward, the wet is shed off, and passed back without having opportunity to enter the lacing-opening. The advantages of such a construction over the open front lace lying in the front median line of the foot and ankle are at once apparent. The latter is open to receive the wet, and as the foot is advanced catches all the moisture it comes in contact with. Thus this feature of my invention is better in these particulars than the presence of a waterproof tongue, and for such purposes enables me to dispense with such a tongue in my construction where in the usual front open seam such a tongue would be necessary.

\Vhere the boot or shoe is to be used in verse enlargedqseotion otthe legof the boot,

I soleAma-y be present, as shown;

.water deepe'nough to nearly or quite sub merge thefoot, auwaterproof tongue is to be employed in connection with a shoeor boot, and this tongue is to be of a desired length- The shoes or boots may likewise be pro- Having now described the principal-features of my invention and manyv of the consequent advantages'l will now proceed-to describe an illustrative construction-thereof.

.. In the drawings, Figure '1 isa viewin per- 1 spective of a boot, illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse section of said boot, taken in the plane of the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal trans taken in the plane ofthe dotted line 3 3 of Fi l; tio h of the uppers removed from the sole and turned-bottom side u i. thusshowin the unl. an

der side thereof, illustrating the preferred construction of the liningsrwhen the bootor shoe is to be used in: marshy wet ground or in water. p

A indicates theasole, provided with the usual heel A A cork sole A superincuinbent on generally considered, oonsistsof two-great divisions-viz., part B and part G.

' side'asfar as M2, as shown, The part 0 begins at the outer edge N of the sole and ex-- tends up as far as N The part 13 thus overlaps, on the outer side of the shoe, the part 0, for a considerable distance down. Such overlapping by part B of part 0 is carried on for the entire length of the lace-opening L, beginning at the point P forward of the instep and extending back in a nearly-horizontal line to the ankle I. Here at R the lace'opening L curves upward and then runs vertically up the ankle I. The overlapping of part B over 0 is likewise there continued. \Vhere the upper and back portions are continued up the leg and form a boot-leg, the overlapping is preferably continued up the leg with the open lace, and there the overlap is from front to rear at the outer side of leg, sub stantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

\Vhile the flat lace can be employed in con nection with the overlap and lace-opening, I prefer to employ the hook lace as more convenient to tighten and adjust and complete in the operation of lacing the shoe or boot.

The preferred further detail construction of the shoe or boot is as follows: The uppers will each consist of two main divisions. The part 13 consists of a lower portion B of heavy leather and a top part B of thinner, lighter, and more flexible leather. The part 0 will consist of a lower portion C of heavy leather and an upper portion (3 of lighter, thinner, and more flexible leather. The purpose of such construction is obvious. To the inner Fig. 4 is a plan view of the frontpor- The upper,

forcing-strip B for the better holding of the eyelets orpreferably the hooks H, which take theplace of eyelets, andpreventing the same tearing out or away from their flap. The. part vided with a cork'sole above the leather sole. i

G is likewise provided on the inside with a reinforcing-strip (1* for thebetter securing or the eyelets or hooks II connected tothis part Such reinforcing-strips Will'be coextensive with the htcing-seanr- The lower end or ends of the lacing cord or string H is suitably secured at or near the front end of the lace-opening.

I The shoeorboot may be lined with a suit-v Such lining or'linings I able fabric or fabrics. wu'll ordinarily be present. I

' lVhen the shoes or boots are to beused in rough and very wetwalking, the parts 3* and C will each ibeq'ireferably lined with a leather lining D, and the parts B andC with a lining of ohainois-skin E.. This lining E may extend under the reinforcements or not,

as preferred. In the present illustrative in stance the chaniois-skin extends to. the reinforcement l3 and under the reinforcement C. The usual inner backreinforcing strip or strips extend along up the rear of the shoe or boot, especially where thereis a seam in the The part I libegins at that edge of tliesole nearer to the I other foot-via, Meand extends up and over a the foot and down onto the opposite or outer rear, as inythe special style of shoe here selected for'illustration. I I WV'hen the shoe or bootis to be used in traveling where water or marshes orthelike are, the usual waterproof tongue F is'provided, *connected at front to the upper in frontof where the laeeopening begins, and

sewed at each side to the respective adjacent flap or piece, as B and C substantially as shown.

In placing the shoe or boot on the foot and securing it there, the wearer draws on the shoe and then, throwing his foot outward. leans over sidewise and down, bringing his hand in easy reach of the lacing-seam. He then laces the shoe in the usual manner, and fastens the string H at the top in any suit able manner. A suitable catch, as K, enables the wearer to more readily secure the upper end of the string in place.

In taking off the shoe the wearer assumes the same position as in lacing it up, and then unlaces it. The shoe is then removed, as usual.

hat I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a boot or shoe provided with a side lace opening extending from the forward part of the foot, along horizontally toward the rear, the combination of the part 13 having lower portion B and its lining D, and upper portion and its light lining E, and rent forcenient B thereof, and the part C having lower portion 0 its heavy lining D and upper portion 0 and its light lining E and its reinforcement 0 substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a boot or shoe provided with a side lace opening extending from the forward part of the foot, along horizontally toward the rear, the combination of the part B having lower portion B and its lining D, and upper portion B and its light lining E, and reinforcement B thereof, and the part 0, having lower portion C its heavy lining D and upper portion C and its light lining E and its reinforcement C and the Waterproof tongue Within the shoe and connected to the portion 10 B and portion 0, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

HENRY HOTTINGER. Attest:

A. S. LUDLOW, K. SMITH. 

